The Weekly Report brings you updates on the most important driver recruiting metrics each and every week. In addition to updated click, search, and rate data we cover a new story of the week. This week’s story – Fleets looking to require vaccinations could risk alienating drivers and face stiff opposition.
New episodes of the Weekly Report premiere every Wednesday at 10 AM CT on our YouTube channel and blog page.
We provide the Weekly Report in numerous formats every week. Which one is right for you? Watch the latest reports on our Recruiting Resources or YouTube pages, use our Numbers at a Glance section for quick visual references, download the Weekly Report PDF (available below), read the transcript, or listen to the audio version of the September 1, 2021, Weekly Report below.
Numbers At A Glance – September 1, 2021
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Truck Driver Searches |
| WoW: ∇ Down 6% |
|---|
| MoM: Δ Up 16% |
| YoY: Δ Up 12% |
Load Volume |
| WoW: Δ Up 4% |
|---|
Volume by Segment |
| WoW: Dry Van Δ Up 9% |
|---|
| WoW: Refrigerated Δ Up 10% |
| WoW: Flatbed ∇ Down 1% |
Spot Rates |
| WoW: Δ Up 4¢ per mile |
|---|
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
Clicks On Driver Postings |
| WoW: ∇ Down 7% |
|---|
| MoM: ∇ Down 6% |
| YoY: ∇ Down 3% |
Truck Postings |
| WoW: ∇ Down 3% |
|---|
Rates by Segment |
| WoW: Dry Van Δ Up 9¢ per mile |
|---|
| WoW: Refrigerated Δ Up 3¢ per mile |
| WoW: Flatbed Δ Up 1¢ per mile |
[/one_half_last]
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September 1, 2021, Driver Recruiting Insights
Would you like to have your own copy of the trucking industry data? All of the information covered in this week’s report for September 1, 2021, is available for your convenience in PDF form below.
Click the image to download the September 1, 2021, Driver Recruiting Insights PDF.
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Weekly Report – September 1, 2021 Transcript
Welcome to the Weekly Report, where every week we take a look back to help you and your fleet move forward. This week we’ll be going over all the latest data from last week’s CVSA’s Brake Safety Week. So, how did the nationwide event impact clicks, searches, and rates? Let’s have a look at the numbers.
THIS WEEK IN JOB BOARD SEARCHES AND CLICKS
Truck driver searches were down 6% WoW, but up 16% MoM and 12% YoY. Clicks on truck driver postings were all down – 7% WoW, 6% MoM, and 3% YoY.
Searches for truck driver jobs continue to drop from the record highs we saw in the first couple weeks of August but click counts remain largely in line with what we saw last year.
THIS WEEK IN FREIGHT
Load postings were up by 4% WoW. Both dry van and refrigerated saw gains WoW, 9% and 10% respectively, flatbed however dipped by 1% WoW. With that 10% gain refrigerated load postings reached an all-time high last week. Historically speaking refrigerated volume peaks as we’re heading into Labor Day weekend before easing off a bit and spiking once more right before Thanksgiving. Dry van postings also hit a high, notching their highest level since the International Roadcheck event.
Truck availability, however, declined by 3% WoW. This comes as the load-to-truck ratio rose to its highest level ever. And I do apologize, but the truck availability by segment data that we normally provide is unfortunately not available this week.
The spot rate data, however, is. And the rates rose by a full 4¢ per mile WoW. Dry van rates were up by 9¢, while refrigerated rose by 3¢, and flat bed rates inched up by 1¢ WoW.
Still no sign that the Delta variant is having a negative impact on freight demand, although the stronger demand in this latest week could be due in part to Hurricane Ida.
NOW OUR STORY OF THE WEEK
As we move further into 2021, the pressure is mounting for more and more companies to impose mandates to increase vaccination rates. As a result, some fleets looking to protect their employees from the uptick in COVID cases due to the Delta variant may join in and begin requiring drivers and other employees to be fully vaccinated.
This could, however, prove to be a sticking point for drivers. In a recent Truckers News poll 30% of company drivers said they’d refuse a mandatory vaccine and would rather force their employer to fire them than take the shot.
Another 16% said they would just quit outright, while 17% said they would claim a medical or religious exemption. Of those polled, 25% reported they had already been vaccinated, while another 7% said they would take the shot.
This survey suggests that fleets moving to require vaccines and masking programs will likely encounter resistance and as a result have to deal with a higher turnover rate in addition to taking more time to fill vacancies with qualified and vaccinated drivers.
Rather than requiring or forcing vaccines, some companies have seen success by offering incentives to encourage employees to get vaccinated. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a full 75% of workers whose employers offer paid time off to get vaccinated, have received at least one shot.
The vaccination rate for workers at companies who don’t offer time off is only 51%, and that drops to only 41% for employers who do not openly encourage vaccinations. Important to note here that all of the KFF numbers are an average taken from multiple industries and are not just trucking specific.
That does it for the story of the week, and this week’s report. We look froward to you coming back next Wednesday for an all-new report featuring the latest numbers on searches, clicks, rates, and of course a new story of the week. Until then, have a great week everybody.
